MARIANA CHAMORRO – CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Halloween is coming up soon, and as people get in the mood for chilly nights and bowls of candy, being on the lookout for scary movies to binge is a must for many this October. There are a myriad of scary movies to choose from, but this article showcases a few of the best scary films produced in Spanish.
- Verónica (2017)
Directed by Paco Plaza, this modern-day possession story is a twisted coming-of-age story that surprised viewers. Adding to the creep factor is that this story is based on real-life events from the 1991 Vallecas case, where a young girl named Estefanía Gutiérrez Lázaro was found dead after allegedly playing with an Ouija board. The film is set in Madrid during the early 1990’s and
follows the dark story of a teenage girl named Verónica. Veronica is your everyday high schooler who loves her Walkman and skipping class, that is until one dreadful day. An Ouija board seance has horrible ramifications, leaving Verónica confronting an unforeseen paranormal stalker. Soondemonic forces start threatening her family and perhaps her very soul.
- No Dormirás (2018)
No Dormirás (You Shall Not Sleep) is a Spanish-Argentine-Uruguayan thriller set in the 1980s in Spain and directed by Gustavo Hernández. It follows Bianca, a lowly actress who
joins a theatre group preparing for a stage play by trying experimental methods that includes sleepless periods to achieve higher levels of perception. Bianca is determined to be the best and goes to an old mental asylum, where she loses herself to a lack of self-control and the dark side of her character. The film is a gritty and disturbing look into what it means to be abandoned and to abandon.
3. El Orfanato (2007)
El Orfanato is the demented brain baby of Director J.A. Bayona and writer Sergio G. Sánchez and will
surely break audiences’ hearts and trust. Set in Spain, the film revolves around the mysterious story of Laura García, an adopted girl. 30 years later, she returns to the orphanage with her husband and her adopted son Simón with the hopes of reopening the orphanage as a facility for disabled children. Simón soon claims he has made a friend in the house named Tomás, who wears a sack mask on his head. As expected, things get weird. Delirium, paranoia and the horrific consequence of flawed human nature ensue. This film exposes the depths of human error.
- Rec (2007)
Rec, one of the most critically acclaimed horror movies of the 2000s, is a found footage film that is set on creating a sense of disorientation and inspiring claustrophobia in its audience. The film is set in Barcelona and follows reporters Angela and Pablo. They receive a call about a woman and make their way to a dark apartment building where they find the residents infected with something evil and soon all of them are trapped. Rec is also directed by Paco Plaza, in collaboration with director Jaume Balagueró. The importance of Rec to Spanish film and the found footage genre cannot be understated and is an essential watch for horror fans.
5. Vuelven (2017)
Vuelven, also known in English as “Tigers Are Not Afraid,” is a crime-fantasy horror film directed by Issa López, who was strongly inspired by realism. Set in Mexico during a series of drug wars, 10-year-old
Estrella witnesses a gang shooting at school. Her teacher hands her three pieces of chalk and tells her to take three wishes. She walks home where her mother is nowhere to be found; Estrella joins a group of orphan boys where she discovers the unpredictable power of wishes and real-life horrors. Spanish horror hit the ground running in the early 2000s and has been going strong ever since. With its socio-political themes, found footage of zombies, and possessed teens, Spanish horror offers a dose of nostalgia making it a perfect addition to a cozy Halloween at home. With the increasing popularity of international film, Spanish film is continuing to make its mark and is a genre to look out for this October and beyond.